The humor of Saturday Night Live has definitely changed over the years, but whether it’s for good or ill is hard to say since it all depends on who you’re talking to. Some of those that would say that it’s funnier now than it’s ever been would be overruled by those that miss the days of John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Eddie Murphy, and many others that made the show great back in the day. Then there are those who would say that the show has had its ups and its downs but has been uproariously funny throughout its long history, and in truth they might be the most accurate since sketches such as this are for those that definitely have a different sense of humor and tend to like softer, more nuanced laughs than the uproarious and far-reaching gales of hysteria that have been known to leave sore jaws and tears rolling down one’s cheeks. Ethan Anderton of Slashfilm describes this sketch as subtle humor and he nails it pretty much since the whole idea of the deep quote duel within the sketch is enough to make a lot of people laugh while Craig’s sudden shift from being the husband of an individual that works with others in the room to flirtatious husband that kind of leaves his wife in the proverbial dust to spar with a fellow movie quote buff is pretty funny.
Some husbands might actually expect a smack to the back of the head or to be sacked out on the couch for the night after a performance such as this but for a sketch it was kind of slow-moving at first even though it got rolling near the end. Movie quotes are a lot of fun to play as a game really if you actually manage to inject at least some hint of where they come from and don’t use vague and fairly universal language. The humor of course was in assuming that the two involved in the game knew exactly what they were talking about since let’s be fair and say that there’s no one on earth that could get Captain Phillips from a few simple lines that could show up in any movie, and gestures could be just about anything unless they’re insanely specific. For instance, putting your hands up and looking at your palms isn’t really indicative of much when it comes to movies unless your line of thinking absolutely mirrors that of your competitor. That’s why it’s funny though since the over the top flirtatious nature of the pair made it rather comical and hard to resist when it came to laughing.
SNL’s style of humor has changed in a big way throughout the years as comedians have come and gone, a lot of them going off to do their own thing while others have taken their places and stuck to the show even while taking on other projects. While the humor has toned down from the raucous manner that used to be so prevalent though it’s still got an edge to it at times and it’s still risque enough now and again to really reach people on a different level. It’s become especially edgy when politics are brought into a sketch since for the last several years the overwhelming narrative has been that when going after the current POTUS it’s free game most of the time and there’s not a lot that’s taboo. Of course one would expect the show to go and target everyone at some point since in for penny, in for a pound when it comes to politics. Aside from that the overall feel of the show as told by fans is one that isn’t exactly unified but is more or less based on what people think is funny and what they will be willing to listen to and watch. Some think that SNL is no longer as funny as it used to be while others would argue and say that it’s had a resurgence in recent years and is quite solid. The truth is that since its inception the show has been just what it needs to be, and that’s a show that caters to various people that each have their own sense of humor. Some folks might not have found this sketch funny, others might have been laughing nonstop at it.
This isn’t Daniel Craig’s first ever sketch obviously but it’s definitely one that he appears to have enjoyed and gotten into after a while, though it definitely need that extra ‘oomph’ at the end to really kick into gear since the awkward feeling of the whole thing kind of dominated the sketch to begin with. That being said there are always bound to be a few odd sketches in the bunch, it’s just a matter of what people find funny and what might need to be forgotten and left behind. Karen Mizoguchi of People has more to say on this subject.
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